Cania Gorge NP to Sapphire

Thursday 24 July 2014

After a few visits to the loo in the early night I had a good long warm sleep until first bird calls woke me to a pale, misty morning.

We were up, breakfasted and packed then reluctantly on the road again before 9am wishing we could stay longer. I started the driving today again as Kathy had done the second leg yesterday.

We continued north on the A3 to Biloela where we did a little shopping (but forgot the bread) and topped up the fuel. On again to find a morning tea pull off but all we found was a bit of dry gravel near the rail bridge. A freight train driver gave us a toot so we waved back.

By the time we got to Duaringa (via the A5 then west on the A4) it was time to stop again again for fuel, a hamburger lunch and the forgotten bread. On again through Dingo by which time Kathy was driving. Headed into Blackdown Tablelands National Park along the narrow, steep and winding road, and found our allocated camp site (Site 11). We had pitched camp by about 4pm then enjoyed our nibbles and coffee with the sound of birds and other campers settling in.

The currawongs were keen to sample our food and we were equally keen for them not to do so. They even recognised a loaf of bread in plastic.

We had another one pot wonder dinner of stir fried steak and veges then followed with a custard apple from Kathy's tree.

A few minutes spent watching the stars then decided to retire. Kathy and I both decided that as we had had two very cold nights and tonight we'd be over 600m that we'd wear our longjohns to bed.

Friday 25 July 2014

I had quite a warm night and actually had to throw off blankets. We got up after dawn and pottered over breakfast and coffee, eventually leaving camp to drive 8km to the start of the Rainbow Waters walk. We stopped many times along the road to photograph the wildflowers that were glowing in the early morning sunlight through the trees.

At the start of the walk we grabbed our water and some nibbles and again stopped often to look at birds and plants. We took a lot longer than the recommended 45 minutes to get to the lookout which gave us somewhere to sit and eat our nibbles and a beautiful view down the valley. However, our walk back to the car (mostly uphill) took us less than the 45 minutes.

The most significant plant we saw was masses of Hardenbergia violacea. It was just magnificent in the early sunlight.

Back to camp for lunch and had to fend off 2 very dirty kookaburras and a crowd of currawongs. One kookaburra swooped on Kathy and stole her sandwich, “injuring” her finger! We had to eat our custard apple dessert in the car.

Some of the afternoon was spent on diaries and accounts whilst sitting peacefully in the shade. After a sit and a rest we did the Goon Goon Dina walk. Along the way we saw more lovely wildflowers and some waterplants and Drosera in the South Mimosa Creek. Onward we came to some magnificent rocks then the rock art gallery with many small ochre hand prints.

Back again to salmon stir fry for dinner, fending off the birds again.

I was really tired so fell into bd at about 7pm. Unfortunately sleep alluded me until around midnight when our noisy neighbours fell asleep.

Saturday 26 July 2014

We both woke at about 6am in the pitch dark but wide awake. Not long after we heard the patter of light rain on the tent so decided to speed up our packing and leaving.

On the way out we stopped at the Horseshoe Lookout. What a magnificent view of the tablelands falling away into the flats below.

Down the scarp again and on Blackwater where we had our breakfast-morning tea coffee and checked phones and emails quickly at McDonalds. Luckily we did so because there were emergency calls from John about our stay in Mareeba.

On to Emerald to do a little shopping and then rang Robbie and Ernest in Charters Towers to find that we'll miss Robbie when we get there as she has grandmother duties in Townsville.

We then continued on to Sapphire and found the Sapphire Caravan Park. It was the same place Surrey and I had stayed in 2001 (although renamed) and the lady even showed us the same cabin. But we chose the self-contained cabin, Cockatoo Lodge, for a bit of luxury and space to dry out things after 4 days of tenting – no long walk to the toilet in the middle of the night, a sink and two burners for cooking, and even running water. We spent the afternoon sorting and washing then enjoyed wine and chips on our verandah.

Then it was wildlife feeding time – Pretty-faced Wallabies and Rainbow Lorrikeets – just like last time I was here.

Tonight I cooked dinner of steak and veges, then we enjoyed Saturday night TV on ABC till 10:30pm with a phone call from John as well.